ATLANTA — Dozens of aspiring models have filed complaints against an Atlanta photo studio, claiming they wound up legally bound to pay thousands of dollars for a service that didn't warrant the price.
Complainants reported being invited for a test photo shoot and then pressured into signing contracts agreeing to pay up to $6,000 to receive the images.
The Georgia Attorney General's office confirmed its received at least five formal complaints about The Photo Studio Group Atlanta. Dozens more have been made to the Better Business Bureau. 11Alive compiled several of these formally filed complaints here. Georgia business records show the LLC was formed in April 2021.
Because the studio operates under several different names, complaints are difficult to track. The Photo Studio Group Atlanta operates a single studio location, near Piedmont Park. The sign on the building reads Soul Studios, although 11Alive Investigates found it also operates under the trading names Icon Studios and Georgia Models.
Models in Atlanta chasing a dream
Many of the complaints reported the business advertised on social media under the name Atlanta Scouts and prompted aspiring models to input their contact information.
Artemus Norman said when he saw the ad, he'd hoped it was an opportunity to pursue his dream job. Shortly after filling out his contact information on the Atlanta Scouts web form, he said a man contacted him saying he was a representative for Georgia Models.
That representative invited Norman to the Atlanta studio location for a photoshoot, including hair and makeup.
"He said there was going to be a refundable $50 deposit just to kind of secure a spot," Norman said. "I've never gotten hair and makeup done and stuff on the set, so I thought, OK, this seems legit."
Norman also received an email before the shoot titled "The Model Acceptance Letter," which outlined the upcoming process.
"Because your application was hand-picked, the cost of the test-shoot is fully covered by Georgia-Models," the email read. "If your shoot is successful and ONLY IF we feel you are able to pursue a career, the studio will then give you the opportunity to sit down with an image consultant who will discuss an effective networking strategy and help you select images that were taken during your shoot."
Norman said he went through with the photoshoot, which took about four hours. However, he said he wasn't prepared for the high-pressure sales pitch that came next.
"She told me that she usually doesn't do this, but that I did so well in the shoot, she saw me really taking off," he said. "She name dropped a few different agencies, like Nike, that she's worked with, saying she has all these connections. She lived in Italy, lived in New York for New York Fashion Week, she knew all of these models, and was just boosting up my potential."
A search of the woman's name yielded a LinkedIn page which states she's been a model consultant with the Atlanta studio since 2021. However, that is the only modeling-related experience listed. Her listed employment history is primarily in timeshare sales.
An attorney representing The Photo Studio Group confirmed as much, writing to 11Alive Investigates in an email, "her former employment involves selling vacation homes, similar to how it shows she also worked at Accenture (the largest consulting firm in the world). It remains unclear how any of this is relevant to your story or allegations."
Norman said his conversation with the consultant left him under the impression that she and the studio would help connect him with modeling jobs.
"Because she named all these companies that she'd worked with, she named a lot of modeling agencies that she worked with, it seemed like she was going to connect me with different agencies and sell me out to book jobs," he said.
He recalled being offered several packages, ranging from $2,000 to $4,000.
"I told her that I wasn't going to make a decision that day, but she said, 'you know what? I'm going to give you the middle package because I think that you can do so well in this business,'" Norman recalled.
So he agreed to sign a contract for $3,000.
"She was saying each gig can be anywhere from $800 to $5,000, so I'm thinking well that should pay for itself," he said. "In the back of your mind you think, well, if it doesn't work out, I can just cancel it."
The contract, which requires signees to initial multiple lines, states, "I understand that I have signed a non-cancellable credit agreement" and "I confirm that I understand that once I leave the premises, I cannot cancel or reduce the order placed today."
The contract also requires signees to initial they "understand that Soul Studios is not an agency and will not find me work."
Below is an example of the contract
However, many of the complaints filed against the studio report the contract language was too quickly glossed over.
"When I was in the actual studio, I wasn't given a contract," Norman said. "It was like a tablet where you could just initial, there wasn't a piece of paper like, here's our contract, read over it."
Norman and several other complainants said the contract was pulled up on a monitor screen a few feet away.
"I was unable to read the font because it was so small," read one complaint filed with the Georgia Attorney General's office. "When we went through the contract, she did not present the fine print before I agreed to sign my name."
Complainants reported agreeing to pay upwards of $6,000 in some cases. Some claim the studio sent debt collectors after them when they refused to pay the remaining balance.
Norman said six weeks after signing the contract, he still hadn't heard a word from anyone with the studio. He said that after he repeatedly reached out to Soul Studios and left a negative Google review, he did receive 24 photos from the studio shoot, a portfolio website, and an email with tips on how to succeed in the modeling industry.
Not worthy, he thought, of the $3,000 he'd agreed to pay.
“She sent a couple like YouTube links about what to do when you go to a casting call or what not to do, or what to wear," he said. "Things that are free, that I could have just Googled."
'Cease and desist': An attorney responds
When 11Alive Investigates started digging into the origins of the business, it was revealed the Photo Studio Group based in Florida owns The Photo Studio Group Atlanta LLC. It also operates similar studios all over the United States and England.
Other trading names the group operates under include Studio 1, Maps Studios, and West 38. Each studio name has its own website, though many of the sites share the same images listed under the "testimonials" or "success stories."
A reverse image search of the photos on the Soul Studios and affiliated websites reveal many appear to be free-use stock images taken before the company was even formed.
When 11Alive Investigates reached out to the Photo Studio Group for comment, it responded by having an attorney send a cease and desist letter via email, threatening legal action if 11Alive published this story.
"Every client is shown and sent a complete copy of this contract at the time of execution and thereafter sent an electronic copy containing the 17-separate signatures and initial form acknowledgments," the attorney wrote. "It appears you have received baseless complaints from failed models/actors looking for a refund of professional and appropriate services rendered by a reputable entity."
Of the dozens of written and verbal complaints reviewed by 11Alive Investigates, none reported receiving a paper or emailed copy of the contract prior to signing. The attorney representing The Photo Studio Group confirmed on the phone that Soul Studios consultants pull the contract up on a "tv screen" in the room.
Norman said the studio emailed him a copy of the contract only once, after he'd signed it. The attachment contained the completed contract with his signature and initials.
He said he takes accountability for not insisting on taking time to read through the contract language but feels he was still misled.
"I'm a little disappointed in myself because I usually do a better job of reading over things, but I do think this whole thing does need to be shut down or at least investigated because it's not right," he said. "I think they found a specific niche market to really dive in and take advantage of people."
Norman also pointed to parts of the Soul Studios website that he feels are misleading, including a portion of the site that states "we will be with you throughout the entire signing process."
"What are we signing?" Norman asked. "The contract? The verbiage of everything is very broad."
In one instance, the same photo of a male model was posted on both the West 38 and Studio 1 websites, but under two different names: Dawson Scharf and Kaden Smith.
On one site the testimonial reads, "I got signed to Future Faces of Miami a 3 year exclusive contract!!"
When 11Alive asked about those testimonials the attorney representing the Photo Studio Group wrote via email, "Thank you for bringing that to our attention and it will be fixed. It is the wrong photo, but Dawson Scharf is a happy client of The Photo Studio Group, and my client sent him an email dated 10/21/20 congratulating him on signing with Future Faces Model Agency."
However, when 11Alive reached out to Scharf to independently confirm this, Scharf said he never signed with an agency and regretted signing a contract with the studio.
"I did a photo shoot with Studio 1," he said. "The experience was kind of horrible. They made me pay over $5,000 and did nothing to help me or get anywhere to be successful."
He confirmed again he never signed with Future Faces agency after the photo shoot, saying "the last time I ever did anything regarding modeling was with [Studio 1] and they ruined it for me. That's why I've never gone back out to try it."
Several other complainants came to 11Alive with their concerns about the studio, but feared the company would sue them if they shared their experiences.
One tipster sent a link to what appears to be a job listing for the Photo Studio Group Atlanta. The sales job listing description posted to Glassdoor claimed to offer salespeople $16,000 a month on average. The requirements state candidates must "come across and look like a credible fashion industry insider."
11Alive reached out to Glassdoor to confirm whether the listing was in fact posted by The Photo Studio Group. A spokesperson for Glassdoor said they were still looking into it at the time of this publication.
Modeling agency tips
Several modeling agencies in Atlanta confirmed they've heard of the photo studio and its operations in Atlanta.
"It's just sad because we see people walk through the door and this is their dream," said Ursula Wiedmann, the owner and CEO of Ursula Wiedmann Models. "You can feel and see that desperation, and it sounds to me like these people are really preying on that desperation."
Wiedmann, who has run her agency in Decatur for over a decade, said in her experience the cost of a portfolio or test photoshoot used to apply to agencies usually costs $500-$800, which includes hair, makeup, and styling.
She was shocked to see Soul Studios was charging thousands of dollars and said she's empathetic to anyone who wound up having to pay that much, in an attempt to pursue their dreams.
"I can see definitely how someone could fall for that, legal documents are a lot, there's a lot of verbiage and fine print," she said. "We always tell models that we are signing, 'take this home, have your parents look at this, have a friend or an attorney look at this contract.' You should always do that before signing your name to anything."
Agencies do require a contract to negotiate on the model's behalf, and most retain the industry standard 20% of what a model makes from jobs, Wiedmann explained. But she said legitimate agencies will never charge models anything to sign with them.
"Paying anything up front, that's the biggest red flag," she said. "Pressure to sign a contract while you're sitting there, no way."
Wiedmann said anyone who has dreams of becoming a model should consider attending open calls at legitimate agencies. Wiedmann, for instance, hosts an open call every Friday from 2-4pm at their Decatur location. She said she and her staff will also scout models via social media or in person and added that most agencies have an online form accepting applications.
She said she hopes aspiring models like Norman don't give up on their dreams because of the negative experiences they've had with other businesses.
"Atlanta is a hot spot for fashion, for acting, for film, for television, so I see that they're strategizing, knowing this is a market where they can score victims," she said. "If you're disheartened, just know that there are good people in this industry that are doing their best."
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